Shock news - Dannii Minogue gets it mostly wrong, Simon Cowell gets it totally right, and Louis and Sharon should join Eastenders.
In what many people thought was a foolish move, X Factor 2007 lowered the age for contestants to 14 years. Then they raised false hopes by selecting a number of 14 and 15 year olds to go to boot camp and to the final 12. Then the show threw away their hopes and aspirations in a foolish attempt to build tension and emotion. It raised emotion all right – including cruel and unkind double-meaning in the words from the judges. The stumbling was so bad that a number of contestants did not know if they were being told they were in or out (Emily and Kimberley most notably).
Maybe the show does not include lots of significant information. After all, it consistently concentrates on negatives rather than positives. The show seldom focuses on the energy and positive aspirations of the contestants, and on their desire to be great singers, great entertainers, and to build their skill and craft. Instead the judges and the overall tone of the show is melodrama. Rather than emphasising talent and passion, it delves into emotions that would not be out of place in a daytime soap.
Simon often says the show is about talent, and it is time we heard some. The show is so busy trying to channel emotions for the viewers, we are lucky to get 30 seconds of uninterrupted singing from any contestant. The moment they start to sing, some announcer or producer will insert some snippet they believe is relevant. And it’s not relevant. We don’t need to be told in every show, often more than once, who is doing what for their family or child or parent. Of course they are – that is a given. So having heard about it once, let’s move on. Let’s find out about the contestants, not the increasingly pathetic soap aspirations of the producers.
Week 8 – Judges Houses Show
Dannii gets it mostly wrong
In an intriguing week of surprises and decisions, judge Dannii Mionogue has probably lost any chance of victory after her decision on the boys. She sent two of the best voices home (Dominic and Charlie) and chose two people with very poor presentation ability (Leon and Rhydian).
Sharon gets it half wrong
The girls category was difficult, especially with such a range of ages and styles. For reasons it is hard to understand, Sharon chose the three with the poorest presentation skills, but also sent home two with definite X capability (Kim and Steph).
Louis needs to join Eastenders
His acting (if we can call it that) is atrocious, and his decision speeches to the contestants was down in the gutter of Albert Square. In fact, both Sharon and Louis are coming across as the most insincere people around – which is a great shame for what could be a great show.
Simon shows his skill
Time and again throughout the talent shows he is in, Simon Cowell is mentioned as the person the contestants want to impress. Yes he has power and charisma, but he also appears the most honest. He sees talent, but can also see through artifice. Which it seems the other judges have trouble in doing. Simon’s choice for the groups to go into the final 12 is clever. He has chosen the three with the best voices, but also the ones with the most internal tension. And my guess is he expects the dynamics in the groups will help create sparks – of talent, grit, determination and desire.
So it’s 3-0 to Simon
Of the other 9 chosen for the final 12, my guess is only Emily will have strong public support. Expect Sharon and Nicole to try sultry on Kimberley, and soul-diva on Alesha, and get the song choices wrong for Emily. Expect Simon’s entries to do well.
The main redeeming point about the talent shows is the public almost always choose a great singer, with a personality that understands their talent and the craft that goes into it. The shame is the judges often discard many with the potential because they are looking for other things – cute or sexy or pretty or handsome. While Simon is equally aware of all those things, he still looks deeper to find the magic combination of talent and awareness which can embody the X factor the public also looks for.
Week 7 – the final 24
There were some clear and obvious choices for the finalists, and some other choices which seemed strange. Tears aplenty from boys and girls turned the proceedings into a bit of a letdown. Or was that just the producers losing their way again and concentrating on emotion rather than music.
The Boys 14-24
18 year-old Leon Thomas from West Lothian, 22 year-old Andy “Taffy” Williams from Newport, and 24 year-old Rhydian Roberts, also from Wales, were joined by Charlie Finn, 19 from London, Luke Beyer, 15 from Cononley and Dominic Harris, 15 from Birmingham.
The Girls 14-24
19 year-old Kimberley Southwick from Tamworth, Emily Nakanda, just turned 15, and 23 year-old Alisha Bennett, along with Vicki Closs, 15 from Glasgow, Kim Howlett, 16 from Manchester and 14 year-old Steph Woods from Lancashire.
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